The UFC has added an absolute banger of a fight for July 11 during International Fight Week in Las Vegas. King Green enters the Octagon for his 31st fight in the UFC. The veteran takes on knockout artist Terrance McKinney in the lightweight division.
Multiple sources have announced the booking to Heavy.com. The fight joins a star-studded UFC 329 lineup in Las Vegas, headlined by Conor McGregor’s long-awaited comeback rematch against Max Holloway.
King Green Aims For His Fourth Consecutive Win
King Green is one of the longest sitting lightweight fighters in the UFC. The 39-year-old from San Bernardino, California, has fought in the UFC since 2013. He had been a professional for five years, with over 20 fights on his record. With four wins in his first four fights, Green started to make waves in the division. Unfortunately for Green, he had to deal with personal drama outside the cage, and the good results started to fade away. In seven fights, Green was only successful against Erik Koch. The UFC kept believing in the always-entertaining Green, and that paid off. In 2020, Green went on a good run with three wins in a row.
Unfortunately for Green, that good run got stopped by Thiago Moisés. The American was able to win a couple of fights against opponents like Nasrat Haqparast, Tony Ferguson, and Grant Dawson, but every time he came close to the top 15 rankings (or just in), he lost. After a win over veteran Jim Miller, Green suffered two bad losses against Mauricio Ruffy and Paddy Pimblett. Many fans thought that would be the end for Green. But as always, Green came back. Backed by a win over Lance Gibson Jr. and stoppage victories against Daniel Zellhuber and Jeremy Stephens, Green aims for his fourth straight win against Terrance McKinney, a streak he hasn’t put together since 2014.
An Absolute Crowdpleaser With A 100% Finish Rate
If you hear the name Terrance McKinney, everyone knows the judges can go out for a quick break. The 31-year-old fan favorite out of Chicago, Illinois, has never seen a judge’s scorecard in his professional career. McKinney is a true “finish or be finished” fighter. Early on in his career, McKinney fought for the CageSport MMA promotion. After going 4-1 with CageSport MMA, he fought three more fights at the regional circuit, winning the Front Street Fights title. In 2019, he got the opportunity to earn a UFC contract during the Dana White’s Contender Series.
Following a tough loss to Sean Woodson on Dana White’s Contender Series, McKinney failed to find his footing, falling to Darrick Minner in his immediate return to the regional scene. In 2021, McKinney got signed to the LFA promotion. After two devastating knockout wins, he got the short-notice call from the UFC. On less than a week’s notice, McKinney beat Matt Frevola within seven seconds in one of the best UFC debuts of all time. McKinney didn’t compete anymore that year because he injured himself with a wild celebration after the fight. The American fighter then beat Fares Ziam, but after that win, McKinney started to struggle more in the division. With one win in only four fights, McKinney had his back against the wall in 2023.
But with two quick finishes over Mike Breeden and Brendon Marotte, he looked back on track again. Unfortunately for McKinney, he was on the wrong side of a horrible head-kick knockout against Esteban Ribovics. McKinney was again able to win his two fights after that, but when he fought Chris Duncan for a possible spot in the rankings, he lost after an amazing start via anaconda choke in the first round. In March this year, McKinney made quick work of Kyle Nelson. The American is now hunting for his nineteenth professional victory and his nineteenth finish when he steps into the cage against Green.
UFC 329 – July 11
- Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
- Benoît Saint-Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett
- Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
- Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
- Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison
- Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov
- King Green vs. Terrance McKinney
- Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III
- Damian Pinas vs. César Almeida
- Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yañez
- Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Cong
- Farid Basharat vs. Ethyn Ewing
- Cody Durden vs. Ode’ Osbourne
- Zachary Reese vs. Ryan Gandra
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